Central Nervous System Flashcards

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Broca's area

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A region in the left frontal lobe involved in producing and processing spoken language. Damage to Broca's area often causes expressive aphasia, where comprehension may remain but speech production is impaired.

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Wernicke's area

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A region typically in the left temporal lobe important for language comprehension and the production of meaningful speech. Lesions here can cause receptive aphasia, producing fluent but often nonsensical language and poor understanding.

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Central nervous system

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The CNS consists of the brain and spinal cord and integrates sensory information to coordinate conscious and unconscious responses. It is the primary processing center for thoughts, memories, and motor commands.

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Peripheral nervous system

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All nerves outside the brain and spinal cord that collect sensory information and carry motor commands to and from the CNS. It connects the body to the central nervous system and enables interaction with the environment.

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Neural tube

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An embryonic structure that gives rise to the central nervous system during development. Its cranial end expands into brain vesicles while the caudal end forms the spinal cord.

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Primary brain vesicles

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The three early chambers of the developing brain: prosencephalon (forebrain), mesencephalon (midbrain), and rhombencephalon (hindbrain). These vesicles later subdivide into more specialized regions.

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Secondary vesicles

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Five divisions that arise from the primary vesicles: telencephalon, diencephalon, mesencephalon (unchanged), metencephalon, and myelencephalon. They form the main adult brain structures.

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Telencephalon

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The embryonic region that develops into the cerebrum, including the cerebral cortex and basal structures. It supports higher cognitive functions, voluntary movement, and complex behavior.

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Diencephalon

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An embryonic division that forms structures such as the thalamus and hypothalamus, regulating homeostasis, alertness, and some emotional responses. It also houses parts of the limbic system.

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Brainstem

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The structure connecting the spinal cord to higher brain regions, composed of midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata. It controls vital involuntary functions like heart rate, breathing, and basic reflexes.

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Midbrain

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The upper part of the brainstem involved in processing sensory information and initiating reflexive motor responses. It contributes to tracking moving objects and orienting to sudden stimuli.

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Pons

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A brainstem structure that helps relay signals between the cerebrum and cerebellum and contributes to sleep and respiratory regulation. It sits above the medulla and below the midbrain.

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Medulla oblongata

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The most caudal part of the brainstem that regulates essential autonomic functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration. Damage here can be life-threatening.

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Cerebellum

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A brain region primarily responsible for coordinating muscular activity, balance, and fine motor control. It receives sensory input and helps refine movements but is not the center of conscious thought.

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Cerebral cortex

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The wrinkled outer gray-matter layer of the cerebrum involved in high-level processes like perception, decision-making, and voluntary movement. Its folds increase surface area for more neural connections.

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Gyri and sulci

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Gyri are the raised folds of the cerebral cortex and sulci are the grooves between them. Together they increase cortical surface area to accommodate more neurons within the skull.

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Corpus callosum

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A thick band of myelinated axon fibers that connects the left and right cerebral hemispheres and allows them to share information. It facilitates coordinated function between the two halves.

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Cerebrospinal fluid

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Clear fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord, cushioning them and allowing the brain to float within the skull to reduce effective weight and impact. It also helps remove waste and transport nutrients.

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Limbic system

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A group of interconnected structures (including the hippocampus and amygdala) involved in emotion, memory, and motivation. It plays a central role in forming memories and generating emotional responses.

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Melodic intonation therapy

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A speech therapy technique that uses singing and melody to engage right-hemisphere language-capable regions when left-hemisphere language areas are damaged. It can help patients with Broca's aphasia regain communication by retraining alternative pathways.